Advanced Writing from Coursera

Course 3: Advanced Writing

This is the third course in the Academic English: Writing specialization. By raising your level of academic writing, this course helps prepare you for college-level work.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

- plan and write a more sophisticated argument essay

- identify plagiarism and explain how to prevent it

- read and analyze several articles to form your own opinion on a topic

- make connections between several articles

- form thesis statements from your readings

- use sources effectively when writing an essay

Please note that the free version of this class gives you access to all of the instructional videos and handouts. The peer feedback and quizzes are only available in the paid version.

What's inside

Syllabus

Course Introduction

This is the third course in the Academic English: Writing specialization, and it is a more advanced writing course. It will help you raise the level of your writing and make you more aware of the type of writing you can expect in college. You’ll learn what plagiarism is and how to avoid it using correct MLA citations. Also, you'll learn to write a synthesis essay, which will help develop your critical thinking skills. Finally, you’ll write a documented essay, which will help further enhance your skill of using outside sources in your writing.

Advanced Argument Essays

In the previous class, you learned about writing argument essays. Here you're going to learn how to make your essays more academic by writing more body paragraphs and adding support from outside sources. You will write a new argument essay, and since you already know how to write an argument, this will be a good way to practice using sources. You will also start learning about MLA format.

Avoiding Plagiarism

The topic of this module is very important for you to know about before you start taking college classes. Plagiarism is a kind of academic dishonesty that gets students into big trouble or even gets them dismissed from school. In this module, you will learn what plagiarism is and how to avoid it.

Synthesis Essay

In college classes, you will often be asked to read several articles and write an essay about an idea you form from reading the articles. This kind of essay is called a synthesis essay. In this module, you will be given two lists of articles to choose from. You will need to read the articles on your list and then write a synthesis essay. You will use sources from the articles to support your own ideas.

Documented Essay

In this module, you will start using the Internet to find your own outside sources to support your ideas. You will also try to write a longer essay than you have before. This module will give your more practice using quotes and paraphrase in your essay, and you will learn to use a Works Cited page to list your sources.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Suitable for non-native speakers of English who aim to pursue college-level work

Appropriate for those looking to enhance their academic writing skills

Emphasizes the prevention of plagiarism and proper citation in academic writing

Provides opportunities to practice writing different types of essays, including argumentative and synthesis essays

Incorporates the use of diverse sources to support and enhance writing

Reviews summary

Mixed bag for advanced writers

According to students, Advanced Writing is a course that has mixed reviews. Students say that for advanced writing, the assignments are disgustingly juvenile, but appreciate that grading is flexible and instructors can be helpful when interacting one on one.

Grading is straightforward and flexible

Instructors are helpful when you interact 1 on 1

Course is either very good or very bad

"Disgustingly juvenile for what alleges to be an "Advanced" course, avoid if you care about writing quality essays or writing in general."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Advanced Writing with these activities:

Read a book on academic writing

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Review a book on academic writing to refresh your knowledge of the basics and to learn new techniques.

View Longman Academic Writing Series 4: Essays, with... on Amazon

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Choose a book on academic writing that is appropriate for your level.
Read the book carefully, taking notes as you go.
Complete any exercises or activities in the book.
Write a summary of the book.

Watch a video tutorial on a topic related to academic writing

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Watching a video tutorial on a topic related to academic writing can help you to learn new techniques and to reinforce your understanding of the material.

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Choose a video tutorial on a topic related to academic writing that you are interested in.
Watch the video tutorial carefully, taking notes as you go.
Complete any exercises or activities in the video tutorial.

Practice writing academic essays

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Practicing writing academic essays can help you to improve your writing skills and to become more confident in your ability to write academic papers.

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Choose a topic for your essay.
Research your topic and gather information.
Write an outline for your essay.
Write a draft of your essay.
Revise and edit your essay.

Six other activities

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Join a study group with other students in the course

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Joining a study group with other students in the course can help you to learn from others and to get help with your assignments.

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Find a study group that meets your needs.
Attend study group meetings regularly.
Participate in discussions and activities.
Get help with your assignments.

Write a blog post on a topic related to academic writing

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Writing a blog post on a topic related to academic writing can help you to solidify your understanding of the material and to share your knowledge with others.

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Choose a topic related to academic writing that you are interested in.
Research your topic and gather information.
Write a blog post that is well-organized and well-written.
Publish your blog post on a reputable website.

Create a collection of resources on academic writing

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Creating a collection of resources on academic writing can help you to organize your materials and to easily access the information you need.

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Gather resources on academic writing from a variety of sources.
Organize your resources into a logical order.
Create a system for accessing your resources easily.

Create a presentation on a topic related to academic writing

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Creating a presentation on a topic related to academic writing can help you to develop your public speaking skills and to share your knowledge with others.

Browse courses on Writing

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Choose a topic related to academic writing that you are interested in.
Research your topic and gather information.
Create a presentation that is well-organized and well-designed.
Practice your presentation.
Give your presentation to a group of people.

Enter a writing competition

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Entering a writing competition can help you to improve your writing skills and to get feedback from experts.

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Find a writing competition that you are interested in.
Write a submission that meets the competition guidelines.
Submit your entry to the competition.

Mentor a younger student in academic writing

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Mentoring a younger student in academic writing can help you to reinforce your own understanding of the material and to develop your leadership skills.

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Find a younger student who is interested in getting help with academic writing.
Meet with the student regularly to provide guidance and support.
Help the student to develop their writing skills.
Provide feedback on the student's work.

Career center

Learners who complete Advanced Writing will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Freelance Writer

Freelance Writers are responsible for writing a variety of content for clients, such as articles, blog posts, website content, and marketing materials. This course may be useful for Freelance Writers who wish to improve their overall writing skills. The course helps teach critical thinking, logical writing, and persuasive writing, which are all valuable skills for Freelance Writers who want to produce high-quality content that meets the needs of their clients.

See salaries and explore the career path for Freelance Writer

Professor

Professors are responsible for teaching and conducting research at colleges and universities. This course may be useful for Professors who wish to improve their writing skills. The course helps teach critical thinking and logical writing, which are essential for writing academic papers, articles, and books.

See salaries and explore the career path for Professor

Researcher

Researchers are responsible for conducting research and writing research papers and articles. This course may be useful for Researchers who wish to improve their writing skills. The course helps teach critical thinking and logical writing, which are essential for writing clear and concise research papers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Researcher

Screenwriter

Screenwriters are responsible for writing screenplays, which are the blueprints for movies and television shows. This course may be useful for Screenwriters who wish to improve their writing skills. The course helps teach critical thinking and storytelling, which are essential for writing compelling and engaging screenplays.

See salaries and explore the career path for Screenwriter

Poet

Poets are responsible for writing poems, which are short works of literature that use language in a creative and expressive way. This course may be useful for Poets who wish to improve their writing skills. The course helps teach critical thinking and creativity, which are essential for writing impactful and meaningful poems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Poet

Novelist

Novelists are responsible for writing novels, which are long works of fiction. This course may be useful for Novelists who wish to improve their writing skills. The course helps teach critical thinking and storytelling, which are essential for writing compelling and engaging novels.

See salaries and explore the career path for Novelist

Lawyer

Lawyers are responsible for representing clients in legal matters and writing legal documents, such as contracts, wills, and briefs. This course may be useful for Lawyers who wish to improve their writing skills. The course helps teach critical thinking and persuasive writing, which are essential for writing persuasive legal documents and representing clients effectively in court.

See salaries and explore the career path for Lawyer

Editor

Editors are responsible for reviewing, editing, and proofreading written content to ensure clarity, accuracy, and consistency. This course may be useful for Editors who wish to improve their writing skills. The course helps teach critical thinking and logical writing, which are essential for effectively editing and improving other people's written work.

See salaries and explore the career path for Editor

Speechwriter

Speechwriters are responsible for writing speeches for public figures, such as politicians, CEOs, and celebrities. This course may be useful for Speechwriters who wish to improve their writing skills. The course helps teach critical thinking and persuasive writing, which are essential for writing speeches that are informative, engaging, and inspiring.

See salaries and explore the career path for Speechwriter

Journalist

Journalists are responsible for gathering, writing, and reporting news and current events. This course may be useful for Journalists who wish to improve their writing skills. The course helps teach critical thinking and logical writing, which are important for writing accurate and informative news articles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Journalist

Doctor

Doctors are responsible for diagnosing and treating patients. While this course may not be directly related to the medical field, it may be useful for Doctors who wish to improve their communication skills. The course helps teach clear and concise writing, which is important for writing medical reports, patient education materials, and communicating with patients and their families.

See salaries and explore the career path for Doctor

Content Writer

Content Writers are responsible for planning, writing, and editing digital content, such as web pages, blog posts, articles, and social media posts. This course may be useful for Content Writers who wish to improve their overall writing skills. The course will help them write more effectively and persuasively, which is important for creating compelling content that engages readers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Content Writer

Technical Writer

Technical Writers are responsible for conveying complex technical information to non-experts. This course may be useful for Technical Writers who wish to improve their writing skills. The course helps teach critical thinking and logical writing, which are essential for writing technical documentation and user guides that are easy to interpret.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer

Grant Writer

Grant Writers are responsible for securing funding from various organizations, including non-profit foundations and government agencies, to support various projects and initiatives. This course may be useful for Grant Writers who wish to improve their persuasive writing skills. The course helps teach the elements of an argument essay, which can be helpful for writing persuasive grant proposals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Grant Writer

Copywriter

Copywriters are responsible for writing marketing and advertising materials, such as slogans, ad copy, and sales letters, to promote products or services. This course may be useful for Copywriters who wish to improve their persuasive writing skills. The course helps teach the essentials of an argument essay, which is useful for writing ad copy that convinces and compels the readers to make a purchase.

See salaries and explore the career path for Copywriter